Liverpool’s Florian Wirtz wins 2025 Footballer of the Year

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·10. August 2025

Liverpool’s Florian Wirtz wins 2025 Footballer of the Year

In a vote by journalists organised by kicker, Liverpool’s Florian Wirtz has been voted footballer of the year.

633 journalists voted in total. The 22-year-old finished with 191 votes, comfortably ahead of second-placed Michael Olise, who received 81 votes. In third was Nick Woltemade of VfB Stuttgart with 71 votes, and in fourth was Thomas Müller with 70.

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On being voted footballer of the year and following on from 2024 winner Toni Kroos, Wirtz said of the now-retired midfielder:

“I have to say, I couldn’t imagine a better successor than you! You are a special player on so many levels,”

While Kroos praised Wirtz in kicker:

“In my opinion, you did everything right with your move to Liverpool FC, and it underlines your mindset and conviction.”

On the motivation the award gives him, Wirtz said:

“I’m aware that at 22, I still have a lot of work ahead of me to live up to all the expectations that come with being named Footballer of the Year, among others. And I’ll continue to set those expectations for myself regardless.”

Last season, Wirtz scored 10 goals and assisted 13 as Bayer Leverkusen finished runners-up to Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga. The 22-year-old was also nominated for the Ballon d’Or. The Köln native’s performances led to big speculation surrounding his future at Leverkusen; he would end up joining Premier League-winning Liverpool.

Footballer of the year was not the only award given out; the journalists also voted for coach of the year, which was given to Freiburg’s Julian Schuster.

The voting for this award was a lot closer than the footballer of the year voting. In Schuster’s first season as a head coach, he led Freiburg to fifth, receiving 97 votes for his achievement.

In second place was Werder Bremen head coach Horst Steffen with 76 votes for his work with Elversberg, leading them to the relegation playoff. In third was Hansi Flick with 72 votes, who won three trophies, including LaLiga in his first season with Barcelona.

GGFN | Jack Meenan